Comments on: links: the home

By: Amy in StL

Amy in StL — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:37:12 +0000

I’ve always been amazed when I go to other people’s houses at the amount of paper towels they go through. I guess I grew up in a household where we used a dishrag and kitchen towels in the kitchen and sponges and a scrub brush in the bathroom. I use papertowels, but only when I spill something on the floor or to clean up raw meat juice. Oh, I used to use them in bulk to clean up after my aging pukey dog. Ew.

By: R.M. Koske

R.M. Koske — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:56:12 +0000

Kelly – I’m right there with you! (I use toilet paper and then flush the results)

But…if I used rags on a more regular basis, eventually I’d have some that had reached the end of their useful life. Those could be the cat-puke rags, since I was going to throw them away anyway.

By: barrie

barrie — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 13:21:25 +0000

i’m always amazed that people still use paper napkins instead of cloth ones. i’ve had my cloth napkins for a decade and they still look like they did when i got them. the esty white alternatives would never last white for long, but they’re cheap, which is nice – i usually look for mine at garage sales. this makes me want to go on another hunt!

oh, and seanna lea: i saw this http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/paper-towel-alternative-the-skoy-cloth–096867
and also read that paper bags and/or just keep one towel as your grease towel might be a good option for bacon. i haven’t tried any of these, but now you’ve inspired me!

thanks notmartha for showing me even more ways to reduce waste.

By: Miss Kathy

Miss Kathy — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 22:13:51 +0000

I always buy 300+ thread count linens at discount places like Ross or Marshall’s ( Winners, in Canada) so that when my boyfriend inevitably rips his giant toenails through the sheets, I don’t have fit. Then I cut the sheets down into various sizes (tiny chihuahua vomit towelettes, wine glass spot removers, window wipes) on an old paper cutter and store them in the pantry according to size in re-purposed zippered basmati rice bags. I keep a small pail of soapy water in my laundry area to collect them once soiled. Once they are too skeevy to reuse, they get tossed in the compost.
Same goes for old towels.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 19:26:13 +0000

I just don’t think I could give up paper towels. What would I clean up cat puke with? Not a towel that I would hold on to.

By: R.M. Koske

R.M. Koske — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:03:55 +0000

Seanna Lea –

I once saw a tip of using chopsticks laid on a plate in a grid to make a “rack” to lift bacon out of its own grease when microwaving it on a plate. I never tried it, and I think chopsticks would be a pain if you do much bacon or do it often, but maybe you can think of something in that direction? I’ve also heard of bacon done with one sheet of food-safe paper over a thicker pile of newspaper so the majority of the grease-catching is done with “recycled” paper.

Good luck!

By: Seanna Lea

Seanna Lea — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:55:37 +0000

My husband and I mostly switched to cloth napkins earlier this year. We have paper towels only for making bacon in the microwave. If I knew of a good alternative for that, then I would stop buying them completely. I probably should just google it.